Device for collecting printed sheets in a certain sequence astride and atop one another to form a printed product

ABSTRACT

A device for collecting printed sheets in a certain sequence astride and atop one another to form a printed product has a saddle-shaped support supplied by a sheet feeder with printed sheets. The saddle-shaped support is arranged above a conveying device transporting the printed products to a further processing step. The saddle-shaped support has a circulating traction mechanism and driving members connected to the circulating traction mechanism. The driving members act on the printed products to convey the printed products in a direction parallel to a conveying direction of the conveying device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The invention relates to a device for collecting printed sheetsin a certain sequence astride and atop one another to form a printedproduct, wherein the device is comprised of a saddle-shaped supportsupplied by a sheet feeder with printed sheets and arranged above aconveying device for conveying the printed products to a furtherprocessing step.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] Such a device is described, inter alia, in European patentdocument 00 810 936.5. According to this prior art, the printed sheetsare collected above a continuously circulating conveying device on aknife-shaped support in a certain sequence to form a printed product,and, by retracting the support, the collected printed sheets are droppedtogether onto the conveying device which supplies the printed productsto a further processing device, for example, a stitching device.

[0005] This type of transfer of the printed products or the printedsheets collected on the support onto the conveying device requires aninterruption of the supply of the printed sheets from the sheet feederto the support, and such an interruption lasts for several processingcycles and thus causes processing delays at the conveying device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide a device forcollecting printed sheets in a certain sequence astride and atop oneanother to form a printed product which device requires less time forthe transfer of the printed products resting on the support so thatprocessing at the conveying device can be accelerated or more time canbe made available for ensuring greater processing reliability.

[0007] In accordance with the present invention, this is achieved inthat the saddle-shaped support comprises driving members fastened on acirculating traction mechanism and acting on the printed products so asto convey them in a direction parallel to the conveying direction of theconveying device. This provides a process optimization.

[0008] Advantageously, the saddle-shaped support is provided on one sidewith a stop for a rearward alignment of the printed sheets of a printedproduct, and the drive motor of the driving members is configured to bereversible.

[0009] Preferably, the saddle-shaped support, when viewed in theconveying direction of the printed products, is connected with itsupstream end so as to be fixed on the device frame. This provides thepossibility of configuring the saddle-shaped support as a cantileverarm.

[0010] Expediently, the saddle-shaped support is arranged such that theprinted products resting thereon overlap partially the conveying deviceso that a correct drop of the spread-apart printed products from thesaddle-shaped support onto the conveying device is ensured.

[0011] In the following, the invention will be explained with the aid ofone embodiment shown in the drawing, wherein reference is being had tothe drawing specifically in regard to features not described in detailin the specification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0012] In the drawings:

[0013]FIG. 1 shows a portion of a saddle-shaped support supplied by asheet feeder with printed sheets and arranged above a conveying device;and

[0014]FIG. 2 shows the saddle-shaped support on an enlarged scale.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015]FIG. 1 shows a portion of a schematically illustrated conveyingdevice 1, for example, a collecting chain of a gatherer stitcher, onwhich the printed products 4, combined of printed sheets 3 on asaddle-shaped support 2 and dropped from the support 2 onto theconveying device 1, are transported. Prior to this, the printed sheets 3are supplied from a sheet stack magazine in a cycled fashion by a sheetfeeder arranged upstream of the saddle-shaped support 2, are opened, anddropped onto the saddle-shaped support 2. In the present embodiment, theprinted sheets 3 are dropped in a certain sequence and number onto thesaddle-shaped support 2, i.e., collected thereon to form the printedproduct 4, and are then transferred as a collated printed product 4 ontothe conveying device 1 for further processing. FIG. 1 illustrates aprinted product 4 which has been pushed off the saddle-shaped support 2as well as a printed sheet 3 resting on the saddle-shaped support 2 andthe next printed sheet 3 being supplied by the sheet feeder 5.

[0016] In FIG. 2, the saddle-shaped support 2 is illustrated with itsimportant components. It is comprised of two lateral, downwardly slantedsupport surfaces 6 on which the first printed sheet 3 of a printedproduct 4 is positioned. One of several driving members 7, which arefastened on the circulating traction mechanism 8, is shown to projectpast a ridge which is formed by the upper ends of the support surfaces6. The conveying direction of the printed product 4 illustrated by arrowF indicates the circulating direction of the driving members 7 about theguide rolls 9, 10 wherein the guide roll 10 is a driving roll and isconnected to a drive motor (not illustrated in the drawing). Thesaddle-shaped support 2 is formed as a cantilever arm and is connectedby means of a supporting member 11 with a frame part 12 at the end ofthe support 2 where the driving guide roll 10 is positioned. In thevicinity of the driving guide roll 10 a stop 13 is fastened on at leastone support surface 6. The stop 13 is provided to precisely align therearward edges of the bundled printed sheets 3 when carrying out areversing movement of the drive motor driving the driving members 7.

[0017] While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown anddescribed in detail to illustrate the inventive principles, it will beunderstood that the invention may be embodied otherwise withoutdeparting from such principles.

What is claimed is:
 1. A device for collecting printed sheets in acertain sequence astride and atop one another to form a printed product,the device comprising: a saddle-shaped support configured to be suppliedby a sheet feeder with printed sheets, wherein the saddle-shaped supportis arranged above a conveying device transporting the printed productsto a further processing step; wherein the saddle-shaped supportcomprises a circulating traction mechanism and driving members connectedto the circulating traction mechanism; wherein the driving members acton the printed products to convey the printed products in a directionparallel to a conveying direction of the conveying device.
 2. The deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the saddle-shaped support comprises a stoparranged at one end of the saddle-shaped support, wherein the stop isconfigured to align the rearward edges of the printed sheets in theconveying direction of the conveying device, wherein the tractionmechanism has a reversible drive motor.
 3. The device according to claim1, wherein the device has a device frame and wherein the saddle-shapedsupport has a rearward end when viewed in the conveying direction of theconveying device, wherein the rearward end of the saddle-shaped supportis connected fixedly to the device frame.
 4. The device according toclaim 1, wherein the saddle-shaped support is arranged such that freelysuspended lateral parts of the printed products partially overlap theconveying device.